i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone

[monoceroscaeli]

[Fontaine: The technological hub of Teyvat.

For as long as anyone can remember, the country of Fontaine has always been the innovative center for the continent. High speed rail was originated here, and now spans across the entirety of Teyvat and beyond. High rises and skyscrapers pepper the skyline, modern Victorian buildings supporting a gear-like aesthetic from an era gone by. A thousand years ago, it was a much different place, but now it thrives with the bright lights and bustle of its people. One can hear the occasional street performer playing for cash, as businessmen and tourists alike walk down narrow cobblestone streets. People are buried in their phones, some take pictures as they gawk at the sights of the city, but one young man in particular walks languidly down the street, enjoying the life around him. He's in no hurry to get where he's going, as he has plenty of time to get there, noting a deli across the street from where he is now that he'll have to try.

Unfortunately, he is on business, so that'll have to wait.

Never being one to be dressed completely formal, he wears a comfortable pair of slacks and dress shoes, with a collared shirt that isn't buttoned up all the way under a grey vest. Various pieces of metal are woven into the vest, notably a crest on his right shoulder with a chain attached to it that hangs under his arm to the back. On his belt lies a Vision, glowing blue with hydro. The young man always seems friendly and easy going, but what lies underneath is something that not many are allowed to know- the heir to the family business of a company who develops tech for various products is also the right hand man of the mafia that runs the city.

And, their true business behind the scenes; creating Delusions to sell on the black market.

Today is a day where some investigating has to be done, and he's headed to see an old friend of his, from university. One that he's sure can help him with this problem he has. Entering the building, he swings in quietly to give a polite wave and a smile to the only person there.

Someone who looked exactly like their brother, whom he can only assume is the twin sister he'd yet to meet that he'd heard about.]

Hello, I was wondering if Aether was in today? I had a...business proposal for him, and I'm sure that he'd love to hear it. Unless of course, you might be of assistance instead.

Comments

[monoceroscaeli]

Aw, c'mon...

[He complains back, sounding surprisingly genuine despite the act he was putting on. The hand squeeze definitely made it easier, and he wonders if he should make a bet with her knowing he'd easily win. It would probably look too suspicious, so he chooses just to laugh it off and chat a little with the other couple until it's finally their turn to go up to the statue.]

Finally. Here, we can take your pictures first.

[The group helps each other out taking some nice pictures for in front of the statue, and it's then that Ajax steps up to it and gestures for the other three to gather around.]

Okay, on three, let's all press our hands to it and offer a prayer. Ready?

[He looks at Lumine, giving her a wink.]

One, two, three!

[traversal]

[ lumine pretends that she didn't see that wink at that, her gaze trained intently on the buffed gold bas—relief of the base of the statue. the others have already stepped up to the statue, the couple especially looking very excited as to what might happen. if only they knew ...

maybe nothing will happen, she thinks. maybe it'll totally be a fluke. maybe that was just some kind of hallucination earlier, the cold affecting her brain.

she was very wrong, of course. the moment she presses her hand against the cold stone pillar, light seems to swirl around her. cryo energy seep into her fingertips, seemingly freezing every vein it goes through, before settling in her chest. she throws ajax a look of panic, quickly pulling her hand away, as gasps erupt around her.

lumine can feel all eyes on her, the entire crowd silent for a split second before babbling noisily. she takes a step back when she looks over her shoulder, spotting the crowd rushing towards her, intent on getting whatever blessing she managed to receive. ]

Ajax!

[monoceroscaeli]

[Ajax is prepared to act surprised when the statue is supposed to light up with a swirl of energy as she absorbs the power of cryo- what he doesn't expect is for some of that light to swirl around her, pointing her out to the entire crowd.

But, at least his reaction now is genuine as shock is painted on his face.

The couple gasp as well, eyes wide and feeling a little excitement for her. It really worked! You were blessed by the gods!]

Time to go. Don't let go of me, [he says, as the crowd rushes upon them, security not enough to stop them. He grabs Lumine, pulling her close to him as he bodies his way through. People at the front of the line don't seem to care to stop to say anything to Lumine, more intent on receiving a blessing for themselves, but Ajax still makes sure to hold onto her tightly in case anyone got any strange ideas.

It may be because of the number of people there that they are able to move to the exit, escaping the chaos and shouting up at the front. He hurries her towards his car, quickly unlocking it and jumping in.]

Hahaha, what a ruckus we've made...I wasn't expecting that.

[His eyes shine, absolutely pleased with the amount of commotion that they've made doing that.]

[traversal]

[ the other pair's excitement is lost on her, panic surging through her like a raging flood. almost immediately, her hand closes around ajax's coat when he grabs at her, the two of them moving through the excited crowd. it feels like forever, leaving that area and arriving back at car, her heart beating hard in her chest and blood pounding in her ears.

what if someone saw them? recognised her?

but even with that commotion, ajax looks as pleased as ever with the development and lumine can't help but hit him on the arm. she looks terribly annoyed, her breath coming up short and hitched. ]

Are you seriously laughing right now? That wasn't funny!

[monoceroscaeli]

Ow! Haha, s-sorry, [he apologizes, one last tiny giggle come out of him.] It's just the sight of all the commotion was entertaining, and we managed to get out of there without so much as a single problem.

[Other than having the threat of being crushed by the crowd, he thought it went over very well. Ajax can't quite explain why he's laughing, as this kind of thing would have been taken very seriously if it had been a job. But it just is. And it brought him joy to see it.

They pull out of the parking lot to the statue, Ajax's intent being to drive to his brother's house now. It would be a longer ride, but at least it'll give them time to calm themselves before they get there.]

We've got an hour drive ahead of us to Morepesok. Will you be alright to go there now? We could stop and calm our nerves a little first if you'll need.

[traversal]

[ this is such an exhausting day, and lumine wants nothing more than to return to her hotel room and fall asleep on her bed until this trip ends. but clearly, the gods are very much against her and she still has some kind of responsibility in life.

she leans back against the seat, tilting it back to allow herself to recline, closing her eyes. ]

Let's go. I'm sure your brother has a couch or a bed or a room that I can lie down in for a while.

[ unless it's a complete imposition, of course. but seeing that ajax has been imposing on her since day one, she might as well return the favour. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

He does, don't worry.

[He heads then, in the direction of his hometown, soon pulling onto the interstate that would lead them directly there. Ajax sets the cruise, enjoying the snowy scenery around them as they pass forests of snow filled pine trees as they leave the capitol.]

How are you feeling, especially after being granted another element? I imagine the process must be tiring.

[In fact, he can't imagine how it couldn't be tiring. It's one thing to own a vision and manipulate the elements- it's another to have them flowing through you as if you were an archon.]

[traversal]

It's not ... very exhausting, to be honest.

[ if anything, it's more exhausting to deal with the reality of the situation, everything crashing down on her like a wall of bricks. lumine wonders if her life will ever return to normal, if she could just go back several weeks ago when this didn't start happening.

but there's another part of her that seems to not want that to happen, to seem to seek ajax's presence absently. an emptiness that doesn't wish to be satisfied, for some reason. ]

I think dealing with you is more tiring than dealing with it.

[monoceroscaeli]

Aw, you can't mean that, Lumine.

[Sounding mock hurt, he holds one hand over his heart, failing to hide a smile that played on the edges of his mouth. Her perpetual exhaustion with him is no deterrent, if only serving as encouragement to him.]

I think we work together quite well, in fact. Look at what we've already managed to accomplish.

[They haven't even had to kill anyone yet.]

[traversal]

[ look at this facetious man. if she had an inkling as to where he's bringing her to, she'd be throwing him out of the car and driving herself over to morepesok. she absently wonders if childe is exactly the same and how lumine has ever dealt with him; it does feel like she has him on a leash, though how she managed that, she will never know.

but then, it seems like those two have been together for a long while now. and despite much of their time spent away from each other, their bond is unmistakable—unlike that of her and ajax. ]

If you meant we haven't murdered anyone yet or landed in jail yet, then I agree it's an accomplishment.

[ she'd rather it stays that way, though. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Give us more credit than that, [he retorts with a laugh, looking over to her, before returning his eyes to the road.]

Anyway, I don't know if you've been there before, but Morepesok is a city that's built its foundation around commercial fishing and imports and exports. Some of the freshest fish in Teyvat comes from there, and it has no end to some of the best seafood restaurants I've ever been to.

[Ajax seems to be reminiscing on this fact, his voice light and far away.]

All in all, I'm proud to call it my hometown. I think you'll enjoy our brief stay there. My brother sounded delighted at the idea of getting to meet you.

[traversal]

[ that's not terribly comforting at all.

why is his brother delighted to meet her? what did he tell his brother about her? honestly, this is why a part of her feels like this isn't appropriate at all, because what's her reason for meeting his family? what's their reason for meeting her? they sure aren't going out or dating. ]

Is there a reason why he sounded delighted? [ lumine glances at him sideways, her eyebrows cocked in curiosity and sinking dread. ] ... Is it because he's already met Aether?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He glances over at her at the same time, confused by her reaction.]

What's with that look? I told him I was bringing you. It would be a little rude to show up without informing him first, don't you think?

[There's a part of him that wants to just explain, but no. This opportunity has presented itself to him and he's taking it.]

Why? What do you think is going on here?

[A sly smile crosses his face. Go on, tell him!]

[traversal]

[ she stares back at him, mirroring his own confusion, before she turns back to the windshield. why is he throwing the question back at him, the idiot? does he honestly not realise what he even said? then again, it doesn't seem like ajax is the type to use his head a lot, so perhaps she's expecting too much from him. ]

I don't know what to think anymore when you're involved.

[ honestly, he drives her up the wall. she's surprised the other lumine has not gone insane from dealing with childe. ]

Why are you bringing me to him anyway?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Look at her, all riled up- it amuses the hell out of him, and he's not hiding that fact either. What to do, what to do...should he mess with her or not?]

You seem overly concerned about this. I already told you what we'd be doing this weekend. I hid nothing from you, if that's what you're thinking this is.

[He wonders if she thinks taking her to his brother's is part of some plan regarding his family and the business, or even more funny, if she thinks that he told his brother she was his girlfriend.]

I'm in town. Why would I not take the opportunity to see my family?

[traversal]

[ can she punch him? if she punches him, will he hold it against her? probably not since she's punched him twice already and he certainly simply accepted it without complaints. but lumine wonders if aether will forgive her if she's the reason they get into an accident ... decisions, decisions. ]

Why bring me along?

[ lumine turns to him again, a mild look thrown his way. ] You could've just told me to stay in the city. I wouldn't have minded.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Her reaction makes him laugh again- he supposes it's time to stop teasing her, and just be forthright now.]

Why would I not want to bring you? After all we've been through together, we're hardly strangers, right?

[Signs are starting to pop up for Morepesok, Ajax finding this particular area of the interstate more familiar. They were getting close, and he's happy that they're almost home.]

[traversal]

[ lumine lets her gaze linger on him before she shifts it away once more, head turning towards the window. white landscape flashes past them as they drive through what seems like the countryside. it really must be far outside the capital if they're moving through the highway like this. ]

I'm just saying that our relationship—or lack thereof—is nothing to write home about.

[ hence not understanding why she's heading to morepesok, on her way to a brother that's "delighted at the idea of meeting her". she's probably overthinking it, and ajax didn't mean anything when he said that.

she closes her eyes again, folding her hands over her stomach. ]

So, why would you bring me?

[monoceroscaeli]

Lumine, it's not like I'm taking you home to meet my parents.

[They're in Fontaine, after all, having moved to seek out better 'business' opportunities in the country of tech. He contemplates in that brief moment how introducing Lumine to them would go, and given how they are, probably pretty well.]

It's just my older brother. You've got another three brothers to meet after him, and three sisters. But by then, I doubt this is a conversation we'd even think to engage in.

[Just going to let that hang in the air for a second.]

Besides, it is as you suspected- Aether has already met the brother we're visiting today. He knew about you long before you knew he existed.

[traversal]

[ ... what. admittedly, she's never really asked aether anything about ajax, so. ]

That's six siblings too many.

[ lumine has no intention of meeting his entire family, nope. the mere fact that they're going to his hometown to meet his brother is weird enough as it is. maybe she should've thought this through before agreeing to whatever he whimsically plans to do. no wonder she keeps getting in trouble.

in any case, she keeps whatever else opinion she has to herself, ending the conversation right there. several minutes later, she decides to sleep off the rest of the car ride. maybe if she wakes up, she'll be back in fontaine. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[The nap is short, as he's gently trying to wake her up as they drive into the outskirts of Morepesok. The city rises in front of him like an old friend, and he's struck with a sense of nostalgia as he drives into the city.]

Lumine, we're here. Are you awake?

[He gingerly reaches over to touch her arm, rubbing it to wake her, his voice almost like a soft whisper.]

Lumine...

[traversal]

[ lumine stirs at his touch, her slumber quite shallow. despite her mental exhaustion, her body still seeks an actual bed for her to fully fall asleep. it seems like proper rest will just have to wait when they get back to the capital—or fontaine, when she finally flies back the next day.

she tries to blink the sleep out of her eyes, yawning behind a hand. ]

Mm, already? [ her brows furrow as she glances out the window, realising that she's finally seeing buildings and houses, clustered together unlike when they were on the highway. ] I didn't get to sleep that much.

[monoceroscaeli]

We weren't that far away to begin with, haha.

[Barely enough for a power nap, as far as he's concerned. The skyline becomes increasingly more cluttered with buildings as he drives downtown, and much like Liyue Harbor, the traffic becomes worse the further he goes.]

Once we get there, you can take a nap with a nice view of the ocean. It's snowy and frozen, but it's still breathtaking nonetheless. My brother has a place right on the coast, and it's always a fantastic view of the harbor.

[If you like looking at all sorts of different boats, that is.]

[traversal]

[ she assumes his brother is the only one here in morepesok. otherwise, why go straight to his brother's place when he's supposed to be here to visit his family? lumine's quite certain his family should have some kind of house or place somewhere in this city where the rest of his family is residing, unless she's mistaken.

she rests her cheek against a fist, her elbow propped against the window. traffic in morepesok is just as horrendous as that in liyue and fontaine. ]

Do you have a place here, too?

[monoceroscaeli]

No, no, not a personal one at least. My parents have a house here, when they choose to come back to the motherland to visit home. I use it as well when I return home.

[He takes another turn, a road that goes right down the coast, a few minutes away from his brother's.]

Interestingly enough, Morepesok is also Childe's hometown. Knowing that, it makes visiting here a little more special. I hope he's able to see how his home has changed so drastically since he was alive.

[He smiles softly, wondering if the man could see it all through his eyes now.]